Tornado warning device



July 30, 1957 B. J. DRASKY TORNADO WARNING DEVICE Filed Oct. 13, 1955F/G. 2Q 4: 1 32 IN VEN TOR.

United States PatentO TORNADO WARNING DEVICE Bretislav J. Drasky,Fremont, Nebr. Application October 13, 1955, Serial No. 540,269

8 Claims. (Cl. 340-236) 7 Another object is in the provision of an alarmsystem Y as above described interworking with a barometer wherebyvariation in barometric pressure will cause an arm, which is operablyinterconnected with the barometer diaphragm, to touch a contact memberwhich closes an electrical circuit for causing the alarm to sound.

Another object of this invention is to have the contacts for the needleset at a predetermined position for allowing sufficient time after thedanger point to seek shelter.

A further object is to provide the said arm in addition to the indicatorneedle usually found on a barometer whereby the electrical contact forthe arm can be concealed from view.

Yet another object is to provide the device with a light to indicatethat power is available for operation to avoid the danger that thedevice might be depended upon at a time when it was not in operation.

A particular object is to provide the tornado warning device with both abattery and a power line connected source of power, and further withautomatic means for utilizing the battery only when power through thepower line has failed or the device has become unplugged.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbe apparent from the following detailed description, drawings andclaims, the scope of the invention not being limited to the drawingsthemselves as the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating away in which the principles of this invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalentprinciples may be used and structural changes may be made as desired bythose skilled in the art without departing from the present inventionand the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the tornado warning device of thisinvention with portions removed and other portions shown in sections forconvenience of illustration;

Fig. 2 is a frontal elevation of the tornado warning device;

Fig. 3 is a diagram of the circuit of the tornado warning device of Fig.1 with parts shown in a position for receiving power from a transformer;

Fig. 4 is a view-in-section taken along the line 44 of Fig. 2 and of aforward portion of the device;

Fig. 5 is a view-in-section taken along the line 55 of Fig. 4.

The tornado warning device of this invention preferably has a hollowbase portion 10 substantially of a box shape and having an opening 14 onthe upper side thereof for receiving certain wires as later described.

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It will be seen that the base 10 has lowermost points arranged in aplane whereby the base is adapted to support the device upright on ahorizontal surface such as a table.

The upper side 12 of the base 10 is removably secured to the remainderof the base 10 by means of screws 20 whereby access can be had to theinterior of the base 10 by removal of the screws 20. The base 10 forms alower portion of the frame of the device and the center or uprightportion of the frame is indicated at 30 and extends upwardly from andsuitably attached to the top 12 of the base. The center portion 30 ispreferably round in cross section and tapers inwardly to anarrower upperend upon which a circular transparent member 32 is mounted having a cap34 on its upper side.

The member 32 is transparent for permitting viewing a light 40 disposedwith its base 32 mounted on the top of the center portion 30 and withwires 44 extending downwardly through an opening 46 in the centerportion 30 to the base portion 10 and as later described. The centerportion 30 has a recess 50 in the forward side thereof in which abarometer 52 is mounted. The barometer 52 is suitably secured to thecenter portion 30 by means not shown.

The barometer 52 can be of any suitable type and is preferably of a typehaving a shaft 60 rotatable responsive to variations in the atmosphericpressure. Such barometers normally have an indicator needle 62 on theouter end of the shaft 60 for the purpose of indicating atmosphericpressures on a dial 64, best seen in Fig. 2. For convenience ofillustration, the indicia normally found on the dial are not shown inFig. 2.

In accordance with this invention an arm 70 is suitably secured to andmounted on the shaft 60 in a position spaced behind the needle 62.

The indicator arm 70 is adapted to swing freely except at times when itcomes in contact with a first contact member added to the barometer as apart of this invention. The first contact member 80 is best seen in Fig.4 and is suitably mounted on a slidable bar 82 having a handle 84 on itsouter end.

The bar 82 is slidably mounted in a suitable fitting 86 which latter isfixed to the barometer sidewall in the manner shown in Fig. 4 withscrews 88. The barometer 52 has a transparent cover shown at 90 throughwhich the needle 62 is clearly visible.

Further in accordance with this invention the fitting 86 is providedwith a wire 90 suitably electrically secured to it for conductingcurrent from the contact member 80 at times when the latter is contactedby the arm 70.

Referring now to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the wiring diagram of thetornado warning device includes the wire 90 connected to the contactmember 80. The wire 90 is also in contact with a further contact member92 which will be later described. From the contact member 92 a wire 94leads to one terminal of a buzzer or other suitable audible alarm 98.The other contact of the buzzer 98 has a wire 102 leading from it to aterminal 104 on a transformer 106. The transformer 106 has a plug 108for plugging into an electrical receptacle of the wiring circuit of ahome or building.

A wire leads from the terminal 104 of the transformer to a relay havingan electromagnet 124 and a wire 126 leads from the other terminal of theelectro magnet 124 to the other terminal 130 of the transformer.

A wire 136 leads from the other terminal 130 to one contact member 138of the relay.

The relay further has a contact member 140 which latter has a resilientarm portion whereby the contact member 140 is normally held in an upperposition in contact with an upper contact member 144 except at timeswhen the electromagnet 124 is energized at which time the contact member140 is pulled downwardly in contact with the contact member 138.

The upper contact 140 is connected by a wire l50 to a terminal "ofabattery 1 52. Another ter rni-fiamf the batter y 152 is connected by awire 1 58 to the'teniihal of 104 to the transformer so as to m'ake acontact witlrthe wires 102 and 120. I p g The center contact 140 of therelay has afiwire 160 leading from it to switch 162whichlatter'isto-bseen in Fig. 2 on the-forward side 'of' tl'ie devise.The-switch 162 has a further wire -16 4 leading-from it to a point ofcontact with the-shaft60 whereby 'et'irrent can pass through the shaft6%) to-the arm 70; 1

The circuit further has a light-180 which is connected by wires-182'and1-8 t to the wire-164 and td 'the terminal 400 f the buz'zer98respectively. -As thus described-twill be seen that when the arm 70touches the contact 80 a circuit is closed between the terminals of thetransformer and the terminals of the buzzer 98. The buzzer 98 thensounds a warning signal. If at this time the plug 198 has come out ofits receptacle or if the power lines are down or for-any other reasonpower does not come from the transformer 106; then the electromagnet1-24 is not energized and the contact 140 springs up into engagementwith the contact 144. In this position, power 'fromthebattery 152 isavailable as a substitute for the power from the transformer 106. e

It is desirable that the first contact 80 serves as a first warning oran alert signal and so I have provided a second contact 92 at a pointdisposed in the path of the arm 70 and in a position in the pathindicative of a still lower barometric pressure than the position of thefirst contact 84 However, it is necessary that before the arm 70 canreach the contact 92 that the contact 80 be removed from the path of thearm 70.

This is accomplished by pulling outwardly on the handle 84 of the bar 82on which the contact 80 is mounted until'the contact 80 is out of thewayof the arm 70.

The arm 70 then swings further downward and counter clockwise as shownin Fig. 2 until it reaches the contact 92 whereupon a second warningsignal is given. It is possible for the second contact 92 also to be'slidabl'e upon a bar 190 having a handle portion 192 similarly to thebar 82. The second contact 92 also has a member, not shown except indotted line at 200 in Fig. 2, similar to the member 86. When the secondwarning contact 80 is pulled outwardly thearm is free to swing stilllower although it is wise if every precaution against the tornado hasbeen taken by the time of the second warning.

From the foregoing description, it is throught to be obvious that atornado warning device constructed in accordance with my invention isparticularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience andfacility with which it may be assembled and operated and it will also beobvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modificationwithout departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for thisreason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precisearrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carryingout my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

1. A storm danger warning device comprising: a barometer having anelectrically conductive arm operably connected to said barometer formoving in a path as barometric pressure falls, and an electrical contactmember disposed in the path of said arm at a position in said pathindicative of tornado danger, n source of power, an electrical warningdevice, and an electrical circuit operably connecting said arm and saidcontact member to said source of .power and said warning device wherebywhen said arm touches said contactmernber said warning device isactuated for giving a warning, means for movably mounting said contactmember on the frame of said barometer whereby said contact member can bemoved from said position in said path to a release position not in saidpath for the release of said arm for further movement responsive tostill lower barometric pressures, and in further combination with asecond contact member disposed in the path of said arm in a position insaid path indicative of a still lower barometric pressure than theposition of said first-mentioned contact member, said second contactmember being connected in said circuit similarly to said first mentionedcontact member, and a base attached to said frame and supporting saidwarning device, the base having lowermost points arranged in a planewhereby the device is adapted to be disposed on the top of a horizontalsurface such as a table.

2. A storm danger warning device comprising: a barometer having anelectrically conductive arm operably connected to said barometer formoving in a path as barometric pressure falls, and an electrical contactmember disposed in the path of said arm at a position in said pathindicative of tornado danger, a source of power, an electrical warningdevice, and an electrical circuit operably-connecting said arm and saidcontact member to said source of power and said warning device wherebywhen-said arm touches said contact member said warning device isactuated for giving a warning, means for movably mounting said contactmember on the frame of said barometer for movement toward and away fromsaid contact point and for supporting said contact member when thelatter is in a contact position and also when the latter is in a releaseposition whereby said contact member can be moved from said position insaid path toa release position not in said path for the release of saidam for further movement responsive to still lower barometric pressures,and in further combination with a second contact member disposed in thepath of said arm in a position in said path indicative of a still lowerbarometric pressure than the position of said first-mentioned contactmember, said second contact member being connected in said circuitsimilarly to said first-mentioned contact member, and a base attached tosaid frame and supporting said warning device, the base having lowermostpoints arranged in a plane whereby the device is adapted 'to be disposedon the top of a horizontal surface such as a table.

3. The combination of claim 2 in further combination with a battery, asource alternating current, a transformer, said transformer beingconnected to an alternating current source, a relay, and a switchingcircuit connected to said battery transformer and relay for normallyusing current from said transformer as said source of power and forautomatically using said battery as said source of power when powerthrough said transformer is not available.

4. The combination of claim 2 in further combination with: an indicatorlight and means operably connecting said light to said source of powerwhereby said light burns constantly except during a failure of saidsource of power whereby power failures are indicated.

5. The combination of claim 2 in which said movable contact member has amember attached to it in a position protruding outwardly from adjacentportions of said device for manual operation and movement of said first-Inetioned contact member.

6. A storm danger warning barometer having an electrically conductivearm operably conected to said barometer for moving in a path asbarometric pressure falls, and an electrical contact member disposed inthe path of said arm at a position in said path indicative of tornadodanger, a source of power, an electrical warning device, and anelectrical circuit operably connecting said arm and said contact memberto said source of power and said warning device whereby when said armtouches said contact member said device comprising: a

warning device is actuated for giving a warning, means for movablymounting said contact member on the frame of said barometer for slidingmovements of said contact member whereby said contact member can bemoved .from said position in said path to a release position not in saidpath for the release of said arm for further movement responsive tostill lower barometric pressures, said contact member being at all timessupported by said movably mounting means for sliding movement andsupport at all times Whether in contact or release positions, and infurther combination with a second contact member disposed in the path ofsaid arm in a position in said path indicative of a still lowerbarometric pressure than the position of said first-mentioned contactmember, said second contact member being connected in said circuitsimilarly to said first mentioned contact member.

7. The combination of claim 1 in which the contact members are elongatedand in which said means for movably mounting said contact members onsaid frame are adapted to slidably support said contact members in aposition that outer ends thereof protrude outwardly from said contactmember mounting means where they can be manipulated, other portions ofsaid contact members being slidably held within and securely supportedby said contact member mounting means.

8. The combination of claim 1 in which the contact members are elongatedand in which said means for movably mounting said contact members onsaid frame are adapted to slidably support said contact members in aposition that outer ends thereof protrude outwardly from said contactmember mounting means Where they can be manipulated, other portions ofsaid contact members be ing slidably held within and securely supportedby said contact member mounting means, the outer ends of said contactmembers having portions extending transversely to the direction ofsliding motion of said contact members and adapted to be gripped by thefingers for the pulling of said contact members inwardly and outwardly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS513,829 Schureman Jan. 30, 1894 1,729,137 Stalmach Sept. 24, 19291,745,714 Reynolds et a1. Feb. 4, 1930 2,461,075 Neylor Feb. 8, 19492,723,388 Jacobs Nov. 8, 1955 2,724,581 Pahl et al. Nov. 22, 1955

